"Congratulations to this year's award recipients for their creative excellence and innovative entrepreneurship," said Scott McIntyre, Foundation Chair. "Their ingenuity shines a light on what we can achieve in British Columbia, and why it matters," he added.

The Carter Wosk Awards are named in honour of BC philanthropist, academic and visionary Dr. Yosef Wosk, Ph.D., OBC and for Sam Carter, BC educator, designer and curator.

BACKGROUNDERS

Henry Norris, Furniture Design
Henry Norris has always had a passion and an eye for furniture design. He began honing his craft as a teenager, creating crude yet functional art pieces. He spent much of his early career in construction, metal-working and making bicycle frames, all of which influenced his interest in working with and manipulating metal. Henry opened his own Vancouver manufacturing and design firm in 2012 precipitated by a desire to have more freedom, more control, and most importantly, more opportunity to create. He has a constant curiosity to explore new materials, forms, and methods in which to convey these abstracts into tangible objects. A self-taught designer, Henry has exhibited locally, and at the Architectural Digest Design Show and Sight Unseen in New York.

Claudia Schulz, Hat Design
Claudia Schulz arrived in Canada 16 years ago from her home in Berlin, Germany. Living in a new city, she wanted to explore the idea of tradition set in a new landscape. Claudia studied the fine craft of millinery design and began her own practice using the same solid wood blocks as the ones she apprenticed on. Claudia hand-forms each one of her hats following minimalistic design principles with simple lines and form. The result is a series of clean line designs that are sought after by an international clientele. Claudia’s muse comes from the city’s architecture and modern structured lines which informs her artistic practice. She sees herself as a collaborator of traditional skills practicing her craft and its applications in a new, modern city, bridging both fashion and design.

Afshin Mehin, Industrial & Interaction Design
Afshin Mehin is a leader in designing smart products. Growing up in BC he was always connected to the outdoors, whether it was weekend mountain bike rides on the North Shore, summer hikes up Black Tusk, or winter ski adventures in the interior. That’s why, when he began to pursue his passion for design and technology, he naturally gravitated towards designing products that use technology that help people live more active and healthy lives. Now with his studio WOKE based in Vancouver, almost every project that the team works on is focused on making technology products that are philosophically intended to help people improve their overall well being by living more active, healthy and sustainable lives. Whether it’s designing wearable tech to help improve mindfulness or a 3d printer that recycles children’s plastic toys, he’s constantly looking at ways to use technology to help people lead healthier and happy lives.